Name: Even in Darkness – a Pre Advent Retreat with Helen Evans & Demelza Henderson
Start: 2025-11-21T17:30:00+00:00
End: 2025-11-23T14:00:00+00:00
Location: St Katharine's Parmoor, RG9 6NN Henley on Thames, United Kingdom

$Even in Darkness \u2013 a Pre Advent Retreat with Helen Evans & Demelza Henderson$

Even in Darkness, Light Dawns: a Poetry and Prayer Retreat
As Advent approaches, Demelza and Helen invite you to spend a peaceful weekend inspired by what poets, psalmists and New Testament authors have written on the powerful theme of darkness and light.
The retreat, held gently in a framework of simple prayer and some silence, offers: group reading and discussion of poems; prompts to inspire your own writing; one-to-one meetings on request for spiritual direction or poetry conversation; and free time for rest, reading, writing, and private prayer.
Whether you’re new to poetry or an experienced writer, we hope you’ll be blessed with fresh insights into its richness as a resource for your spiritual journey.
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Cost is £248.00
Arrival is through the afternoon on the Friday in time for 5:30pm. All meals are included, along with tea/coffee throughout. The retreat will end after lunch on the Sunday.
To book your place or request further details, please email: [email protected] or call the office on 01494 881037.
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Leaders: Helen Evans and Demelza Henderson
Helen is a writing tutor and poet. Her debut pamphlet (Only by Flying, HappenStance Press, 2015) drew upon her experiences as a glider pilot, and her work features most recently in Mariscat Sampler One (Mariscat Press, 2024). Her poem That Angel Hovering was a joint winner of the Manchester Cathedral 600 Poetry Competition. Helen facilitates two poetry projects: Poems for the Path Ahead; and Inner Room, a pioneer lay ministry from the Parish of Central Exeter. www.helenevans.co.uk
Demelza is a licensed Reader/LLM and spiritual director in the diocese of Exeter, and has been leading retreats and quiet days since 2012. She is an Oblate of the Society of Our Lady of the Isles, which combines her love of the natural world with a deep appreciation of contemplative prayer. She works as Administrator of the Association for Promoting Retreats and as a virger in Exeter Cathedral.